Benimaru Nikaido in King of Fighters

Benimaru has been in The King of Fighters series since the beginning. He is a model and fighter who can use electricity in his attacks. His sexuality is much debated, with some people calling him “more than likely gay, if not metrosexual” (Kalata, Sotenga, & Rasa, 2013) and others asserting “He loves women!” Developers have not openly defined his sexuality, though it is stated on the official King of Fighters site: “His speech patterns have led some to question Benimaru’s preferences as far as certain lifestyles are concerned. All we have to say is: It’s not what you think. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)”.

The Japanese version of The King of Fighters Official Website is much more explicit about Benimaru’s (hetero)sexuality, however: The character’s description ends with “口調からか「紅丸はオカマキャラクターなのか？」という質問を受けることがありますが、彼はオカマではありません（笑）”, which translates directly as “From the character’s tone, we have been asked often “Is Benimaru an okama character?”, but he is not an okama (laugh). [“Okama” is a perjorative Japanese conflation, used for a gay man, trans woman, or male crossdresser.]